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The 1987 Single European Act acted as the catalyst in the proliferation of the European Community's occupational health and safety laws. This resulted to the standardization of technical standards by the European Commission (EC) to enable every manufacturer to enter the European Union markets. The standards consisted of safety standards for the design and construction of equipment and machinery while occupational health and safety standards were addressed under Article 118a of the Single European Act. However, the complete implementation of such laws in the EC still remains to be seen.

The European Union (EU) expects commercial road traffic in Europe to escalate rapidly. The European Commission's Transport Directorate projects a 30% increase in the commercial road traffic between 1988-2000. EU has introduced laws, such as Regulation 3820 and Directive 3821, aimed at restricting drivers' rest and working hours and requiring the use of tachographs on all vehicles weighing over five metric tons.

European countries are less strict about installing fire safety equipment in their buildings as compared to buildings in the US. For example, most buildings in the UK have fewer water sprinklers and are not compartmentalized in a pattern that reduces the spread of fires. The EU is addressing building safety through its Post-Seveso Major Hazards Directive, which will require companies to conduct a risk assessment of their buildings.

Global issues concerning workplace stress and safety, safety procedures at nuclear facilities, and the availability of a highly toxic pesticide are discussed.

The European Union has extended its limit of 48 working hours per week to include five million additional employees in road, waterways, sea, rail, air, transport, and offshore sectors. Drivers will have to include their non-driving tasks such as loading and unloading within the 48 hours.

A methane and coal dust explosion killed 80 miners in March 2000 at Barakova, Ukraine. A lack of safety equipment caused by inadequate investment is blamed for the tragedy.